Art by Nature: Stefan Gross

ART BY NATURE

STEFAN GROSS

Another Rademakers Gallery artist is Stefan Gross. He started his career as an apprentice stained glass manufacturer. In 1988, he became a Master and decided to complete his studies at the Art Academy HBK Saarin Saarbrücken, Germany.

In 2006 he developed his own material, ‘oil plastic’ which he incorporates within his artwork. It results from dyeing industrial plastic, with classic oil paints. His technique enables Stefan to extend the painted surface in a three-dimensional manner. ‘Oil plastic’ is translucent and can be molded at a relatively low temperature, like glass.

"My way of working is quite old school. There is no high technology involved, except the material, the wonder-goo plastic, which I used since my childhood. It's a leftover of a lost world, if it derives from fossil material. Plastic is mostly shaped by machines, millions of identical parts. I shape my work by hand piece by piece. Every piece is different like leaves on a tree. The most advanced machines are still not able to copy this process. So this is still a human advantage till now and that inspires me."

Do you have artist that inspire you?

There are a lot of painters and sculptors of course, but there is one architect and print maker: Giovanni Battista Piranesi, who triggered my work the most. He shows the leftovers of the roman society in a time when nobody could imagine that a civilization like this ever existed. I guess that will happen to our civilization as well. I think human kind will eventuly destroy itself. Nature will survive and develope new life forms. I call this SciFi Nature. It is not the retrofuturism of the 50’s, No human will see this in say a million years time. It is sad and gives hope at the same time. v

" MY WAY OF WORKING IS QUITE OLD SCHOOL."

stefangross.nl

‘Flower Bonanza’ 120x 120 x30cm

2018 making ‘Flower Bonanza’, ’tree trunk’ (photo Stefan made in the woods) Giovanni Battista Piranesi, circus of mars [ets]